Photo Essay: Yamanote Rain

30 stops. 30 shots.

Tokyo’s JR Yamanote line runs in a circuit with 30 stops and, on a rainy day in May 2024, I rode the full loop — boarding at JY30 Yūrakuchō, taking one photo for every stop.

It’s so easy as photographers or artists to get hung up on getting the “perfect shot” or otherwise get in our own way with overthinking or perfectionism. I did this shoot because, well, I love trains — but also to free myself to shoot in a new way, not just shooting in color (with an eye for green) but also with a mind to tell a spontaneous story.

Some of these shots I’d never post on their own, but all together I find them beautiful. Aside from micro crops, they’re straight out of the camera — shot on a custom Positive Film-based Ricoh GRIII setting.

Photo below are shown in order.

During this first set, my lens got directly wet and foggy (!) which, while nerve-wracking, gave these a dreamy diffusion that I love.

Yūrakuchō 有楽町
Shimbashi 新橋
Hamatsuchō 浜松町
Tamachi 田町
Takanawa Gateway 高輪ゲートウェイ
Shinagawa 品川
Ōsaki 大崎
Gotanda 五反田
Meguro 目黒
Ebisu 恵比寿

During this second set, my lens defogged, so you can see the dreamy natural diffusion wearing off. I jumped off briefly at Harajuku and Sugamo stations.

In order:
Shibuya 渋谷
Harajuku 原宿
Yoyogi 代々木
Shinjuku 新宿
Shin-Ōkubo 新大久保
Takadanobaba 高田馬場
Mejiro 目白
Ikebukuro 池袋
Ōtsuka 大塚
Sugamo 巣鴨